1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a cutting tool used with a holder having a seat to receive the cutting tool including a separate fastener to clamp the tool in the seat. The invention particularly relates to cutter tools and holding blocks for such tools that can be employed in coal mining, road cutting, trenching, trash-shredding and tree stump removing apparatus.
2. General Background
In general, roadway cutting, coal mining, tree stump removing, and similar equipment known in the prior art includes a rotary driven cylindrical comminuting drum which acts to scarify and to mine the target area such as the top portion of an asphaltic road surface in situ. The rotary driven drum can include flighting on the drum which acts to collect the mined material toward the center of the drum where it can be removed. Often the mined material is remixed with additional bituminous material and thereafter re-deposited as a newly formed smooth asphaltic surface.
In some prior art devices of this type, the flighting is itself formed from a plurality of cutting tool holders which are connected to the curved surface of the cutting drum. Additionally or alternatively, cutting tool holders can be selectively fixed to the cutting drum in any desired pattern with or without flighting to achieve a particular desired cutting or mining surface effect. A plurality of the cutting tool holders can be arranged end-to-end so as to form cutting groups or even a continuous helical flighting, the top surface of the cutting tool holder being spaced outwardly from the curved surface of the drum.
The top surface of the cutting tool holder includes openings into which conventional cutting bits are received. The cutting bits typically include an outer end having a recess receiving a fixed tip of tungsten carbide or similar material. The cutting bits can be picks adapted to rotate in the cutting bit supporting members. Particularly in the presence of abrasive dust from the roadway mining other similar operation, the rotational movement of such cutting bits acts to wear and enlarge the recesses in which the cutting bit is received. If the wear becomes sufficient, the cutting bit may no longer be satisfactorily retained in the cutting bit supporting member.
As an alternative, the cutting bits can have generally angular body portions adapted to be held at a fixed position in the cutting tool holder. Such fixed position support aids in reducing the movement induced abrasive wear, but can make replacement of the cutting bits difficult unless the configuration of the cutting tool holder and any associated retaining means are properly configured along with a suitable cooperating base configuration for the cutting bit itself.
Thus, there remains a need for a cutting bit and a holder that retains the cutting bit at a prescribed position during any mining, cutting or other similar operation, which also enables quick replacement of the cutting bit at the same location with a minimum of effort and time. Such a cutting tool should be capable of being advantageously employed in a variety of cutting and mining operations under severe conditions.